cooking with love and affection…

Winter Squash Stew

Adam felt like he was missing out when I made butternut squash soup last week when he was on a business trip. His exact words were “You can’t make good things when I’m not there!” I reminded him that I needed to eat too. Luckily, I had a second butternut squash waiting to be made into something glorious. So, for his return, I decided to make butternut squash soup with a twist. I decided to actually make a stew using ingredients that I have never paired with butternut squash – tomatoes, lentils, and corn. Sounds funky, but when you add spicy and savory to the sweet of the squash and corn and the heartiness of the lentils, you get a fiber packed, low fat, delicious stew!

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil then add the lentils and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, heat the oil and saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeno, until soft, about 4 minutes or so. Stir in the squash, tomatoes, broth, cumin, chili powder and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the squash is tender. Add the lentils and bring to a simmer. Season with cayenne pepper to taste. Serve with grated parmesan cheese on each bowl.